EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP (PHD)
Advance your career with a PhD in Educational Leadership
DePaul’s PhD in Educational Leadership program will prepare you with the skills you need to effectively lead organizations and implement systemic change within them. As a trained leader in education, you’ll learn to drive change and organizational growth with innovation and meaning.
In program coursework, you’ll
- apply critical thinking and scholarship that involve equity and social justice
- gain a comprehensive knowledge of the field and of research design and methods, with an emphasis on a particular area of interest
- connect theory with practice, often in non-traditional and unconventional ways
As you pursue your PhD in Educational Leadership, you’ll choose one of two concentrations.
- The General Concentration provides a rich knowledge base to analyze administrative practices with a focus on pre-K–12 education or any education related field.
- The Higher Education concentration focuses on the specific needs of higher education institutions. You’ll be prepared for a leadership, administrative, policy or management position at a college or university or any related field.
In our PhD in Educational Leadership program, endorsements are available for principal licensure and superintendent licensure.
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Lead your students to success
DePaul partners with Chicago Public Schools, the fourth-largest public school district in the country. We also have close ties with the Archdiocese of Chicago (the nation’s largest private school system), as well as suburban public, independent and charter schools throughout the Chicago area. Our long-standing relationships with these schools and systems will provide you with access to leaders in the field who can help guide your career.
Application Deadlines
Applications are reviewed on a continuous basis. Priority deadlines for scholarships are:
- Fall: August 15
- Winter: December 1
- Spring: March 1
- Summer: May 1
Admission Requirements
Submit an online application, official transcripts, résumé, letters of recommendation, a personal statement and a writing sample.
Required Courses
You’ll take six core courses, five research courses, an elective, five concentration courses and two dissertation courses.
No.4
DePaul’s Educational Leadership doctoral program stands as the 4th largest in the country.
96%
of Educational Leadership graduates were employed, continuing their education or pursuing other goals within six months of graduation.
Alumni Network
As a trained leader in education, you join a community of educators in administration as principals, curriculum directors and superintendents, and directors of enrollment systems. Educational Leadership graduates are employed at a wide range of Chicago-area universities, community colleges, school districts, and private and public schools.
Scholarships
Graduate school is an investment in your future. Learn more about the financial aid and scholarship opportunities available to you.
PhD Program Admission Requirements
Admission Eligibility
To be eligible for the Educational Leadership doctoral program, students must hold a master's degree from an accredited institution and have a previous GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale. In addition, students should have experience in an educational role and demonstration of leadership or leadership potential.
Application Requirements
A complete application to the PhD program will include the following materials:
- Graduate admission application
- $40 application fee
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
- Résumé or curriculum vitae
- Three letters of recommendation, at least two of which should be from faculty in the applicant's master's program. For applicants for whom current or updated letters are not feasible, due to the number of years since receiving their master's degree, other professional letters of recommendation will be considered.
- A personal statement (approximately three pages) in which the applicant discusses why he or she is interested in furthering their own education as a student and articulates an issue or problem of interest or concern.
- A writing sample, preferably a course paper from the applicant's master's program or applicants can write a short response to questions provided by the Educational Leadership program - Alternative Writing Prompt
Applicants may be invited to attend an interview with PhD program faculty as part of the application process. Interviews are held either at the Lincoln Park campus or by phone, depending on an applicant's availability. The Office of Graduate Admission contacts applicants to schedule the interview if one will be required.
Applicants who have earned a degree outside of the U.S. or who will be considered international students must submit additional materials. Visit our International Students page for more information.
Applicants can upload supplemental application materials, send requests for letters of recommendation, and pay the application fee through our online application system.
Application Deadlines
The PhD program admits new students every quarter: fall, winter, spring and summer. It offers rolling admission, but regular deadlines are set for each term to assure students full consideration for admission and financial aid. The program will continue to accept and process applications after the regular deadline if space is available.
| Term | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Fall | August 15 |
| Winter | December 1 |
| Spring | March 1 |
| Summer* | May 1 |
*The PhD program admits students all year on a rolling basis; however, most students admitted for the summer term will begin classes the following fall quarter.
Applicants typically receive an admission decision 4-6 weeks after submitting a complete application.
Information Sessions
Learn more about the Educational Leadership PhD program and meet with program faculty at an upcoming information session.
Degree Requirements
PhD Degree Requirements
Specific degree requirements are determined according to the concentration chosen by the student. Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) concentrations are available in General and Higher Education.
Please review the concentration requirements pages for more information.
Please note: a dissertation of original research is completed for all Educational Leadership PhD concentrations in conjunction with faculty advisement. Preparation for the writing of the dissertation includes a Candidacy Paper and Dissertation Proposal. Oral examination for Candidacy, Dissertation Proposal and Dissertation are required. Consult the Doctoral Program Handbook for additional information.
Academic Standards
Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 prior to the completion of 36 credit hours and 3.3 after the completion of 36 credit hours. Students are allowed no more than two grades of “C.” Upon receiving a third grade of “C,” students must retake the class in which the grade was received. Grades of “D” and “F” require that the course be retaken.
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